The University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture Hall of Fame (GCA HOF) recognizes a select number of high-character individuals who have made a significant and lasting positive impact over time to Gibbs College (GCA), its students, staff, faculty, alumni, and/or to communities across the globe. The impact may have been, or continues to be, in the form of service and mentorship, sustained professional excellence, and/or advancement and financial support. Harold Conner is part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class.
Make a donation in honor of Harold Conner
The Harold Conner Fieldwork Scholarship was established to recognize students who excel in their program and particularly in internship or fieldwork/internship courses.
Harold Conner made his way from his hometown of Webb City, Missouri to Joplin Junior College, to the University of Kansas, earning associates, bachelors, and master’s degrees along the way. In 1991 he added an additional master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma.
After two years working in structural engineering for American Aviation in California, Harold took a position with the Portland Cement Association in Chicago, where he spent 22 years in research, management, and information technology. In addition to being an early advocate for technology in construction, Harold became an expert on structural concrete—specifically the structural impacts of disasters. His expertise took him around the world, including to Ground Zero after the events of September 11, 2001.
In 1980 Harold came to the University of Oklahoma to teach Construction Science in the College of Architecture. In 1983 Construction Science formally became a division within the college, with Harold as the director. He continued in that role until his retirement in 1996. Over that time Harold led the program to its initial accreditation, laying the foundation that Construction Science (CNS) has built upon since. Harold is a strong advocate for industry involvement in construction education and for the importance of student internships. In 1999 he established an endowed scholarship for the highest-performing intern from CNS.
Despite his impressive accomplishments, Harold is humble and unassuming. He is most proud of his family. He displays his father’s brick trowel and an album filled with pictures of the stone homes his father built. He is a father of three boys–Bruce, Bart, and Michael–all of whom excelled in sports, including Bruce Conner, who is the oldest man to qualify for the Olympic trials in speed skating, and Bart Conner, a winner of two Olympic gold medals in gymnastics.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
On November 21, 2025, the Mainsite Contemporary Art gallery was transformed into a showcase of innovation and craftsmanship for the University of Oklahoma’s furniture design build studio exhibition, “Purpose in Form.”
